Teaching Teenagers About Finances

Our church's teen girls get together every month for Bible study, and it's such a fun time for all of us. We read our Bibles, study the Proverbs 31 woman, do some kind of game or activity and then they have complete control of the kitchen.

This month's verse from Proverbs 31 is She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Proverbs 31:24

We've already talked in previous verses and in previous months about how women of Bible times would make cloth, and we discussed how the merchants would make their rounds selling their trade. So with those subjects exhausted, this time we talk about money.

Finances are a difficult subject to talk to teenagers about because they're all on different levels. Some have their own jobs and bank accounts, while others still get an allowance and just do chores around the house. But starting at the beginning is a great refresher for some and a good foundation for the rest.

Here's how we're discussing finances in our youth group:

* Vocabulary of words like gross pay, principle, interest, taxes withheld and credit score.

* How to write checks and balance a checkbook.

* Creating a budget.

* Costs associated with college.

* Average pay for jobs they're interested in.

* Cost of living.

It's a lot of serious mathematical information all at once, but I feel like we can all learn a lot from this lesson. If something we discuss in our Bible study can influence them for a lifetime, then it's a topic we're going to cover.